A poster of Bashar al-Assad is defaced with purple paint on a wall in Damascus, Syria, on Dec. 11.
Claire Harbage/NPR
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Claire Harbage/NPR
DAMASCUS, Syria — Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is believed to have issued his first remarks since opposition forces took over Syria greater than per week in the past, claiming his departure from the nation was “neither deliberate nor did it happen within the last hours of the battles” towards the insurgent forces he calls “terrorists.”
The assertion attributed to Assad was posted in English on the deposed Syrian presidency’s account on the Telegram messaging app, dated Dec. 16, from Moscow. The Telegram publish says there had been “a number of unsuccessful makes an attempt to launch the assertion by way of Arabic and worldwide media shops.”
It claims he fought beside the military to the very finish “simply meters from terrorists in probably the most harmful and intense battlefields.”
As the insurgent forces entered the capital on Dec. 8, the assertion says, Assad moved to a navy airbase within the port metropolis of Latakia in coordination along with his Russian allies.
The assertion goes on to say that upon arrival on the base, it was clear that his military had withdrawn from all battle traces and all their positions had fallen. It says that Moscow then organized an instantaneous evacuation that night as the bottom got here below drone assaults. The Kremlin then gave Assad asylum in Russia.
“At no level throughout these occasions did I take into account stepping down or searching for refuge, nor was such proposal made by any particular person or celebration,” the assertion says. “The solely plan of action was to proceed preventing towards the terrorist onslaught.”
The Assad regime fell simply over per week in the past when insurgent forces led by jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, stormed Damascus. The chief of HTS is Ahmed al-Sharaa, previously recognized by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, who has a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head and is designated as a terrorist by the United States.
Sharaa has made some appearances since his group’s victory, asking the worldwide group to help Syria and ship support.
But nations are grappling with the way to work together with Syria’s interim management. The European Union set out situations on Monday for lifting sanctions which have devastated the Syrian financial system. The EU mentioned it needs ensures that the interim Syrian authorities is planning a peaceable political transition which incorporates minorities.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned Saturday the U.S. had made “direct contact” with HTS, with out elaborating on particulars of the talks.
